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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23870884">Mystery of the Whirlpool</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slizzah/pseuds/Slizzah'>Slizzah</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, POV Third Person, Romance, Time Travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:09:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,534</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23870884</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slizzah/pseuds/Slizzah</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsunade POV. Naruto time travels to the past. One shot, TsunadexNaruto</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tsunade/Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>96</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Mystery of the Whirlpool</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Naruto Uzumaki… was an enigma</p><p>That was the main thing Tsunade thought about this so called 'Saviour of the Whirlpool'. The pre-emptive strike from the Hidden Mist on Konoha's ally had catapulted the Shinobi world into it's Second Great War but this man who could seemingly teleport with her grand uncle's Flying Thunder God had saved Uzu from annihilation.</p><p>Curiously though, Naruto was rather humble; he didn't go around proclaiming his strength like some clans no he just seemed glad to have a chance to help. He was young to, couldn't be older than eighteen but he managed to project an aura of confidence that she hadn't seen since Tobirama. Not that it wasn't earned, he had defeated an entire armada of ships almost single handily.</p><p>However the main thing that made the smiling blonde stick in Tsunade's mind was how no matter how she moved or positioned herself, Naruto's gaze had stayed locked on her face. This was a feat that no other man in the village could claim and for the first time in her life Tsunade felt a strange mix of relief and annoyance. Was her figure not good enough for the young Uzumaki? Sure she might be a bit more muscular than the average kunoichi but Tsunade thought she still looked pretty good for a twenty two year old. Did Uzo contain beauties beyond compare? What was it that made Naruto different?</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… had odd tastes</p><p>Honestly how could someone love ramen to this degree? He practically guzzled the stuff, always praising the young apprentice cook, Teuchi. She had nothing against the stuff but it wasn't generally filling; Naruto seemed to circumvent that by eating a dozen or so bowls every sitting. The only other person who seemed to have as much of a love for ramen as Naruto was that Kushina brat who was still in the Academy.</p><p>Speaking of the brat, the girl Uzumaki had taken to stalking Naruto as much as possible; it seemed the girl had a chronic case of hero worship. Tsunade would've expected Naruto to get annoyed by this; Kushina was loud and brash and made no effort in hiding her thoughts but Naruto surprised Tsunade yet again.</p><p>Naruto seemed to genuinely enjoy the girl's company, while also treating her as a peer and not an inferior. He seemed to be the only one in the village who understood how to calm down the excitable girl which made Naruto popular at the Academy when he showed up as a guest speaker. Even so, Naruto made sure to let Kushina know that she should spend more time with her class mates; that she would most likely get put on a team with two of them and it would be better to get to know them. He also made sure to tell her that it was okay to dream of being Hokage but not to get angry when other people didn't understand. Instead she should use her annoyance as fuel and use it to work harder so she could prove everybody wrong.</p><p>It was sound advice and Tsunade agreed with it; it was just too bad because Nawaki was going to be the next Hokage. Still, it would've been nice to have a female Hokage for once. Honestly, was there any negative aspect to Naruto? He was kind, great with kids and always had time to talk. He was also not a pervert like Jiraiya, that was a big plus.</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… was an idiot</p><p>Sure he wasn't a pervert but that didn't stop him from becoming friends with Jiraiya almost instantly; who was doing his best to try and corrupt the 'saviour'. Thankfully it seemed Naruto had a brain in his head and he declined to partake in peeping on the bathhouse.</p><p>True Naruto didn't peep but he had the same terrible sense of humor as her annoying teammate; bad puns and dirty jokes. Tsunade almost let it affect her judgement on the blonde but by observing him more, she realised that Naruto really only acted like that in Jiraiya's presence; what did that mean? The two of them were like two peas in a pod together though; slinging arms other each other's shoulders and getting mighty drunk. Naruto also seemed to have a slight dislike of Orochimaru but that wasn't so strange, her other teammate was … eccentric to say the least. So why wasn't Naruto making any effort to get to know her?</p><p>Team Hiruzen was the premier team the Leaf could field and they were already making waves in the war. Naruto's face practically lit up when he was spending time with Jiraiya and Tsunade almost thought Uzumaki might bat for the other team when she remembered Naruto's eyes also lighting up when he saw her. It was so similar to the other looks she got from men but lacked the lust that usually shone through.</p><p>Was she so ugly that Naruto only wanted to be friends? But if that was the case why did he not make the effort for conversation? Tsunade had always had pride in herself; her strength and looks as well as her clan. Never before had someone shown a smidgen of interest without a proposition. She would get Naruto to notice her!</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… was strong</p><p>The Second Shinobi War was in full swing and Tsunade rarely had time to herself. Constantly on the front; either fighting or healing and she and her team were quickly gaining notoriety. Not as much as Naruto though; Iwa hated him after he had annihilated the most of the Explosion Corp in a single offensive and if Naruto showed his face on a battlefield with Iwa forces, he quickly became their focus. Tsunade would've worried about her ally but it seemed that the rumours of his prowess weren't exaggerated.</p><p>Teleporting all over the place via his strange kunai, Naruto was holding the northern front essentially by himself. Tsunade was just looking forward to the end of the week, her team was being rotated off the line for some rest and relaxation; just in time for Nawaki's graduation. She wondered who her brother's sensei would be, whoever it was better know what they were doing! If anything happened to her baby brother there would be hell to pay!</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… better be ready</p><p>Tsunade knew in her heart that Naruto was an excellent shinobi; his results in the war reflected this but that didn't stop her from laying down the law with him. She expected indignation even scorn for her concern. She would've understood him getting angry at her seemingly lack of faith in his abilities, she wasn't expecting Naruto to be stone cold serious and swearing on his life to protect his Genin team.</p><p>He never coddled her or his team, nor did he ridicule her fears for her brother's safety. Naruto didn't need to say anything, she could see his sincerity in his eyes, they seemed to say, 'you can trust me, I'll protect him'.</p><p>She trusted her village and comrades but a deeper trust? That was only extended to her team, sensei and brother. Could she afford to trust Naruto? She had always thought of her self as a down to earth sort, trusting logic but her gut told her that she could trust Naruto. The smile he gave her when she said that was almost blinding. You didn't get such obvious emotional displays in shinobi, especially in war but that didn't stop Tsunade smiling back; it was contagious. She did make a mental note though to punish Nawaki; he was giving her a sly smirk and she knew he was going to try tease her.</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… was dying</p><p>Tsunade was working feverishly to try stem his blood loss. His Genin team were huddled together not too far away looking miserable; she could hear Jiraiya asking them what had happened. Apparently they had been on a routine patrol when a new Explosion Corp squad executed their ambush. It was in that instant that Naruto could either attack or save his team; they didn't have the training or strength to defend themselves against the Explosion Corp. Without thought for his own safety, Naruto had used his teleportation to gather his team in his arms, shielding them with his body. Once the initial explosion ended, a dazed but determined Naruto had attacked with fury but he was a little sloppy. Tsunade blamed that on pain and ringing ears, Naruto received multiple lacerations including a deep cut on his chest.</p><p>She had to stop the bleeding soon otherwise Uzo's most promising shinobi was going to die. No, she couldn't let that happen, not after he saved Nawaki's life. Tsunade used her often forgotten Fire Release to cauterize Naruto's wounds; he hissed involuntarily in pain. The shock proved to be too much though and his heart stopped beating. She almost panicked but her training kicked in and she started CPR. Tsunade lost all sense of time as she battled to save Naruto's life; her life became an endless series of chest compression's and breathing life into his lungs, all she knew was that she was exhausted, sweat making her clothes damp but she refused to stop. As she brought her lips to his and breathed she felt Naruto's body jolt. She placed an ear to his chest and listened intently before sitting back in relief; he was going to live!</p><p>A choked and slightly hysteric laugh left her and everyone looked at her; at her pronouncement that Naruto was going to survive they all cheered. Showing an inhuman amount of vitality she saw Naruto stir, eyes slowing opening. His first words were raspy and soft, inquiring about the state of his team. It was almost enough to make her fall over in shock but she kept herself together. She gently caressed his face and reassured him that he had saved them. The pure relief in his eyes resonated with her soul and before she could stop herself she had bent over and kissed him.</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… was inexperienced</p><p>It was an amusing thought; who would've thought that the Yellow Flash of Uzo had never been on a date? She shot down his idea of going for ramen and Tsunade almost broke a rib supressing her laughter at the sheer amount of thought Naruto was putting into coming up with a new idea. His eyes scrunched up and a puzzled hum could be heard, it was adorable. An expression reminiscent of Jiraiya crossed his face and Tsunade quickly put an end to that line of thought. Anything that pervert of a Sage thought of would be bad news.</p><p>Instead Naruto asked her for a tour of Konoha; he only come here for mission reports and had yet to figure his way around. It was a pleasant time; sure she'd had more extravagant or 'romantic' dates but simply walking with Naruto around the village talking about any thing that came to mind was more fun than previous experiences. The best thing though was how interested Naruto was. He genuinely liked conversation with her and she never once thought that he was faking interest to get into her pants. She did know that he was interested though; after whispering sweet nothings into his ear, Naruto had turned an interesting shade of red and gotten quite flustered before he Body Flickered away. Tsunade laughed; it was a reaction she was unaccustomed to but one she welcomed.</p><p>She felt like the mystery that was Naruto Uzumaki was finally starting to unravel and that thought made her happy.</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… was a stamina freak</p><p>His libido was almost animalistic, but Tsunade didn't mind. She had grown up with the First and Second Hokage's as her primary male role models and that meant she preferred men who were, well strong and confident, not to mention polite. Naruto was also a quick study; it was hard to believe that four nights ago he was a virgin judging by his prowess in the bedroom. Naruto might've had the self-control of a saint in public but that went out the window as soon as she took off her clothes. That was certainly a boost to her self-confidence, a woman liked her looks to be acknowledged after all. Tsunade couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy, Naruto was a perfect gentleman.</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… was finally S class</p><p>He had been talking about getting that rank for a while and for some reason he was absurdly pleased with the 'kill on sight order'. Tsunade was understandably concerned but Naruto brushed off her worries,</p><p>"Next stop, 'Flee on Sight'."</p><p>Was such a thing possible? No one had ever gotten such a rank before, although her grandfather probably would've gotten one if the Bingo Book had existed back then. Though even with his ambition Naruto never neglected her whether on the battlefield or not. It was often simple things, a piece of chocolate here, a quick kiss or smile there but his presence made dealing with the war easier.</p><p>Nawaki was getting quite annoying though; why was he so fixated on her love life? True Naruto was Nawaki's sensei but that didn't give her baby brother carte blanche to tease her endlessly. It was a good thing Naruto was so good with kids otherwise Nawaki might've suffered her wrath.</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… was a filthy liar</p><p>If he didn't want to be with her he should just say so. Sure relationships between Shinobi generally didn't last but two years?</p><p>Why spin a fanciful tale about being from the future? Was she really a mother figure for him originally? While he hadn't expressly said so she had been able to connect the dots. That was a whole can of worms she had never expected to deal with.</p><p>Nawaki originally died?! Tsunade wanted to scoff but a small honest part of her mind reminded her that it was only with Naruto's skill that his team survived; almost any other Jonin would've perished that day.</p><p>And who the hell was Dan!?</p><p>Naruto lost the Fourth Shinobi War and came back in a last ditch effort to save everyone? Why did that sound so far fetched yet make so much sense? Her world was a mess of thoughts and feelings. All the mental confusion made Tsunade irrationally irritable and she slapped Naruto in the face saying she didn't want anything to do with him anymore. Her heart ached at the pain that flashed across Naruto's face before he put on a mask of stoic indifference. Naruto had departed for the front lines later that day. Did she believe him? Could she afford to doubt him and most importantly, was she still in love with him?</p><p>Jiraiya was smart enough to avoid doing anything remotely annoying in her presence and Nawaki comforted her as best he could but it didn't help. Why couldn't life be simple again? Why did he have to tell her all this?</p><p>Why couldn't she just be happy with Naruto?</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… was drenched</p><p>It wasn't from the rain though; no Naruto had just taken Iwa out of the war all by himself. Blood from over a whole division's worth of Shinobi covered his clothes, so thick that not even the rain could wash it away. Tsunade wanted to go to him, to hug him until the life returned to his eyes but she didn't. True her anger had faded months ago but now she was unsure how he would react to her and indecision stayed her hands.</p><p>Iwa had sued for peace not even an hour ago but Naruto still sat there in the rain, hunched over and still. Cloud were reinforcing their positions but it felt like the war was going to end soon; no country could ignore what Naruto had done now. Tsunade turned when she felt a prod on her shoulder; it was Jiraiya and he motioned to Naruto while making eye contact with her. Didn't he understand that it wasn't that easy? He didn't say anything but that seemed to be worse.</p><p>She grit her teeth and took a deep breath. As she got closer Naruto finally moved, looking up into her eyes. She forced herself to not react, Naruto's eyes should never look like this, so lifeless and dull. They were supposed to shine like the ocean on a sunny day, they were supposed to light up when they saw her. Naruto explained in a monotone that by taking out Iwa this early in the war, Konoha could focus on Cloud and Mist thus moving the front out of the country of Rain. Apparently doing this would stop Nagato's parents from dying as well as preventing Iwa hating his father in the next war. Naruto had also thought that with this show of strength that hopefully the other countries would see peace as being preferable; preventing the Third War from ever taking place.</p><p>Comparing this to what Naruto had previously told her Tsunade could see the logic in his actions but in no way could she condone this. It wasn't the loss of life, no it was war, what Tsunade couldn't condone was Naruto shouldering all the hatred of the world. It taken her some time but she had realised that she had already fallen for him long ago and missed Naruto's company desperately. Before she could say any of that though, Naruto stood up and apologised for disturbing her and teleported away. Tears mixed with the rain as she fell to her knees, had she chased away the man who held her heart?</p><p>Was she doomed to be alone?</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki... was listening</p><p>Tsunade apologised again and again, tears falling thick and fast. She confessed her love how she needed Naruto in her life. She believed Naruto and how he was from the future, Tsunade didn't care about that anymore she just wanted to walk by his side. She was about to bow in supplication when a gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her. His other hand cupped her chin and raised her teary face to his. Naruto didn't say anything, he didn't have to; the love evident on his face was apparent for the world to see.</p><p>Suddenly they were kissing and somehow it was a thousand times more real than any other kiss they had ever shared. Her body melted against his, his hands around her waist and the world seemed to disappear. It didn't matter that they were in public, that an idle part of her brain knew Nawaki and Jiraiya were high fiving in an alley, no Naruto was here in her arms again and that was all that mattered.</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… always managed to surprise her</p><p>Apparently Hanzo had accidentally covered half of his country in poison and killed a third of it's population; including Nagato's parents. The light of her life had whisked off to the Rain village and brought back a boy with red hair and the Rinnegan and any possible shreds of doubt she had about Naruto's past were gone. That wasn't all though, cute little Konan and loud mouthed Yahiko came as well and before she knew it, the Senju compound was home to a group of orphans. Not that it was a problem, Tsunade always had had a soft spot for children.</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… had managed to learn a thing or two</p><p>True she had been his first date but never let it be said that Naruto was incapable of learning. She should have guessed something was up the night after the peace was declared but it didn't cross her mind. She should have known that something was up when Naruto took her to her favorite restaurant before escorting her to the top of the Hokage mountain and dancing under the stars. She should've known something was up but was taken completely by surprise when Naruto dropped to one knee and presented her with a ring with the largest diamond she had ever seen. Apparently her scream of 'Yes!' had been heard across the village but no one had the guts to tease her about it.</p><p>At least to her face.</p><p>Naruto Uzumaki… was looking good</p><p>He wore the crap out of that formal kimono, black with Uzumaki swirls and judging by the way his jaw dropped open she knew he liked her dress. Walking down the aisle was over in a flash, her sensei giving her away tears in his eyes. Then Naruto was in front of her and the wedding faded away, she lost herself in the moment. Her smile was as big as his and when the time came she kissed her husband with everything she had. They had all the time now, to learn how to live a married life, to plan out the future.</p><p>Tsunade knew she wanted kids but not how many but Naruto solved that problem. He would love all their children, as many as Tsunade was willing to carry. Naruto Uzumaki was many things, in some ways he was still a mystery. He no longer carried the world by himself, she was there.</p><p>No, most importantly, Naruto Uzumaki... was</p><p>Hers.</p>
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